Monday, November 17, 2008

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the official blog of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

To quote Tony Iannelli, "This isn't your father's Chamber anymore." He's right. This blog is the start of a series of initiatives designed to give the GLVCC more presence on the internet. The Chamber has come to the realization that cyber-space is the future of business, and while it will never replace having a physical downtown location, it is absolutely vital that all businesses (and groups that want to serve businesses, for that matter!) have a presence on the internet if they want to survive.

Some interesting facts for you:- 215 million Americans use the internet on a regular basis- 163 million Americans have made a purchase on the internet- Depending on the product, 40-60% of Americans first use the internet to do research, seeking information on pricing, availability, etc. Not having an internetpretense means losing access to those customers.In addition to our website, the Chamber is launching pages on Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. We are literally in the process of updating those pages now, so please be patient with us while we get them up and running. Consider this part of the "soft opening" of our new internetinitiatives.

We will give you a daily entry, summarizing the news of note to Chamber members and partners, our upcoming events, a welcome to our new members of the day and any other pieces of note. We will also strive to give you other entries dedicated to a variety of other subjects, including public policy, member benefits, our regional/mission councils, urban revitalization efforts, event promotions and guest bloggers. This blog is absolutely for more than just Chamber members, and while we will certainly use it to discuss Chamber activities, we want to raise awareness and provide information about the issues that are of serious concern to us.